The Artist In The Ambulance

Thrice: Dustin Kensrue (vocals); Teppei Teranishi (guitar); Eddie Breckenridge (bass); Riley Breckenridge (drums). Additional personnel: Charlie Barnett (arranger, conductor); Chris Shieh (violin); Osman Kivrak (viola); Mario Bothello (cello); Greg Watkins (bass). Recorded at Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, New York; Salad Days, Beltsville, Maryland and Phase Studios, College Park, Maryland. On THE ARTIST IN THE AMBULANCE, alternative rock/emo-core combo THRICE lays down an unflaggingly intense set of melodically sharp, lyrically ambitious post-hardcore. Highlighted by the emotionally apocalyptic Active Rock radio chart-topping smash "All That's Left," the album stands head and shoulders above contemporary efforts by virtue of vocalist Dustin Keane's poetic lyrics, which often aspire to the exquisitely crafted, heart-tugging efforts of melancholy masters like Bob Mould or even Joni Mitchell. Musically, the group eschews the simple three-chord jams of other pop-punk hitmakers in favor of a multi-textured hard rock melange that is equal parts All-style harmony-laden punk rock fury and Queensryche-esque jackhammer-heavy rhythmic complexity. In the end, however, the band's disparate influences combine seamlessly into a sound sure to endear Thrice to listeners looking for a more mature, artful version of nu-metalers such as Linkin Park and Incubus.